Deceptive package of the year 2023: Hamburg consumer center is looking for the cheaters of the year

Deceptive package of the year 2023: Hamburg consumer center is looking for the cheaters of the year

According to a report by www.ndr.de,
Fewer goods at the same or even higher price: This form of hidden price increase is now common practice for many products such as food or drugstore supplies. The Hamburg consumer advice center is once again looking for the “deceptive package of the year” - this time for 2023. There are five product candidates to choose from, which, according to the consumer advice center, have become significantly more expensive in the past year due to reduced filling quantities and, in some cases, additional price increases.

The candidates are:

• „Yoghurt-Gums“ von Katjes: Die Packung enthält nur noch 175 Gramm statt 200 Gramm, was einer versteckten Preiserhöhung von 14 Prozent entspricht.

• Tuc “Bake Rolls Sea Salt” from Mondelez: The bread chips only contain 150 grams instead of 250 grams, which corresponds to a hidden price increase of 127 percent.

• “Chocolat Amandes Edel Marzipan Whole Milk” from Aldi: The bar contains less marzipan and is more than 30 percent more expensive.

• “Listerine Total Care” from Johnson & Johnson: The bottle contains less content and the price increased by almost 34 percent.

• Oreo Popsicles from Froneri: The number of popsicles in the pack has been reduced from four to three, and each individual popsicle has been reduced in size, representing a hidden price increase of 63 percent.

The trend for deceptive packages reached a record in 2023, with 104 deceptive packages published. This is a significant increase compared to previous years. The Hamburg consumer advice center is calling for consistent political intervention. A new key points paper from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) stipulates that if the contents of a product are reduced, the packaging of a product should also shrink in the future. However, these suggestions are not enough for the consumer advice center and they demand that packaging must always be filled to the brim.

Consumers can vote online for the “Sham Pack of the Year” and the poll will run until January 22nd. It remains to be seen how politicians will position themselves on this issue and whether new regulations will protect consumers from hidden price increases.